


Hijinks and Low Jacks

by Lady_Saddlebred



Series: Lessons They Never Taught Me [49]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:20:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26567956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Saddlebred/pseuds/Lady_Saddlebred
Summary: cyber and other campus issues
Relationships: Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: Lessons They Never Taught Me [49]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/99608
Comments: 8
Kudos: 20
Collections: Master Apprentice Archive





	Hijinks and Low Jacks

Title: Hijinks and Low Jacks

Author: Lady_Saddlebred (cdelapin@yahoo.com)

Archive: Yes, please

Category: Qui/Obi, Alternate Reality, Hurt/Comfort, Angst

Rating: R

Series: Lessons They Never Taught Me (archived)

DISCLAIMER: George Lucas owned everything, until he sold it to Disney. We own nothing, just building castles in the sand.

Special thanks to Katbear, Merry Amelie (wherever you are, sweetie) and Helen, notre betas par excellence!

Feedback: please feed the hungry bunnies

Summary: cyber and other campus issues

Previous fics in series: all on AO3 website:  
Early Admission  
Lessons They Never Taught Me in School  
Lessons That Were Never on the Syllabus  
That Which Does Not Go to School  
Rainy Day Recess   
Of Popcorn and Pine Trees  
Fit to Print  
Daffodils  
Spring Cotillion  
Is That a Lightsaber I See Before Me?  
A Pen for Your Thoughts  
When I Was Your Age  
Partners  
Mum’s the Word  
Best Laid Plans  
An Apple for Teacher  
What’s for Supper?  
Pacifier  
Snow Angels  
One Man’s Junk  
May I Have This Dance?  
Four Green Fields  
Too Darned Hot  
Pomp and Circumstances  
Summertime Blues  
Blow the Man Down  
Post-Graduate Studies  
Crossing the Pond  
Moving On  
Picnic in the Park  
Family Matters  
Meeting of the Moms  
Ebony and Ivories  
A Less Than Perfect Storm  
Chicken Soup  
Measuring Up  
The Drinking Game  
Rainy Day Recess Revisited  
Step It Out  
Souls Mirrored  
The Pizza Fairy  
Trick or Treat  
Moonlight  
May the Fourth Be With You  
Nollaig Shona Duit  
Heart Healthy  
An Uninvited Guest

~*~*~*~

“Everybody here?” Ryan Talbot did a quick headcount.

It was ten o’clock. Apart from The Dex, the always-open on-campus coffee shop, the Academy was officially shut down for the night. Unofficially, student after-hour access was conveniently overlooked by most departments, provided there was at least a facsimile of an excuse, no matter how flimsy. Most tended to congregate in the computer labs by default. “Ryan’s Raptors spurned anything so obvious and instead met in the Languages Building, which was almost always deserted in the evenings.

The dark-haired junior pulled a couple of six-packs out of his backpack, along with his laptop. “Okay then! Let’s get this party started!” The others eagerly crowded around, grabbing beer and snacks while they booted up their computers. 

“Now, we need to start thinking of our next plan of attack,” Talbot continued, after a long swallow and a loud belch. “People are still yakking about the avatars over the summer. I heard old Smythe-Wellington even threatened to sue the school! Some people just have no sense of humor, am I right?” His on-again-off-again girlfriend, sophomore Lydia Breckinridge, giggled right on cue, as she sucked on a Tootsie Roll Pop.

“Some were even complaining when theirs got taken down,” his roommate, Gabe Calhoun, chimed in. “Maybe we could do some under-the-table off-site deals, huh? Offer them their own copies, for a fee?”

“Sounds kinda risky to me,” pretty Bethany Kincaid opined. “Too easy to trace.”

Gabe reached for another beer. “Doesn’t mean we can’t market it *off* campus, on the Net. Customize it, put it out under a fake name, make a few bucks on the side. Free enterprise.”

Langdon Potter whooped and high-fived Gabe. “Let’s do it, man!” he enthused. “We’ll be rich!”

Ryan leaned dismissively back in his chair. “Nah, we need something new.”

Lydia grinned. “Wish we could get some video of Professor Donovan and Professor Gauliere gettin’ it on. Like in his bio lab, maybe. They probably do it everywhere.”

Bethany scowled. “Oh, ewww…”

“Besides, that’s old news,” Ryan said contemptuously. “Maybe if one of them got caught banging somebody *else*, but otherwise, who’d even care?” He leaned forward. “No, I’m thinking we go big or go home. We got into the servers before, and we can do it again. This time we come up with a sneaky malware program and encrypt the whole system. Then make them pay to get it fixed.” 

“Are you *crazy*?” Bethany cried. “Sure, the avatars were fun. But you know we only got away with it because it was summer session and I.T. wasn’t around to connect the dots. Look how fast that new First Call team got it straightened out as soon as they came on board. Those guys are *good*; it’s what they do for a living.” She shook her head. “They’d track it back to us for sure.”

“They’re not so smart,” Ryan disdained. “What’s the matter, Bethany, you scared Mommy and Daddy might find out their perfect little princess did something naughty?”

“Damned right! And *you* should be, too, dumb ass! Ransomware’s *illegal*, Ry. I know you think you’re better than anybody else around here and can just skate through to graduation. But I don’t have guaranteed admission into grad school, or a cushy corner office with a fancy job title when I get out. I need that diploma. And I’m not going to jail for a computer prank.” 

“Shoulda thought about that before you started writing all those sexy avatars, huh, ‘Princess Play-It-Safe’?” Potter sneered. “You were awful proud of yourself when they uploaded.”

She whirled on him. “You’re a real piece of work, Potter. Whatever Ry says you do, right? You just tag along behind anyone who’ll pay you even a little bit of attention. Grow *up*, you idiot. You’re nothing to him. He’ll drop you like a hot potato when he’s finished with you.” She shoved her laptop into her backpack. “I’m done,” she said quietly. “And if you’re smart, you’ll get out, too. Before it’s too late.” She gave each one of them a level stare, then turned on her heel and walked out.

Potter looked concerned. “Man, you think she’d rat us out? If she goes to the Dean, we could all get kicked out.”

Talbot shrugged. “She hasn’t got the balls. She’s in as deep as the rest of us.”

“She *was* pretty mad, Ry,” Lydia said hesitantly. “Should I go after her?”

“Hell, no,” Ryan insisted. “She can’t do anything without incriminating herself.” 

“But what if-”

There was a malicious gleam in Talbot’s brown eyes. “Leave her to me.”

~*~*~*~

The lab had just ended. As Quinn checked handouts for his next class, he noticed young Ani Walker still seated at his station, staring at his cell phone. Not for the first time, he wondered how anyone survived without checking emails every 30 seconds. He cleared his throat. 

“Ani? Shouldn’t you be heading out?” The boy didn’t answer, seemingly intent on something on the small screen. Quinn tried again, a bit louder. “Earth to Ensign Walker, come in, please.”

Again, no response. Quinn rose from his desk. “Ani?” Judging from the stunned expression on the lad’s face, he asked, “Anything wrong?”

As he approached, Ani quickly turned the phone upside down on the marble countertop. “Um, n-nothing, Professor,” he stammered. “I-I gotta go,” he added, stuffing everything haphazardly into his backpack. His arm brushed against the phone, knocking it to the floor. The boy froze.

“What’s the matter, lad?” Quinn asked again, stooping to pick up the phone. And stared. 

A picture of a nearly naked young woman, in the style of a Playboy centerfold, filled the screen. A caption at the bottom read, ‘I’ll make a man out of you!’ with a number to call. Quinn was speechless. Someone had deliberately sent this to a *thirteen*-year-old? 

“She’d never send out pictures like this, Professor; she’s not *like* that!” The boy was practically stumbling over his words in his anxiety.

Quinn struggled to maintain his composure; the lad was clearly upset enough for both of them. “You know her?” The boy nodded. “Is she a student here?” 

Another nod. “Bethany Kincaid. She’s in one of my computer classes. She’s a junior.”

“And she sent this to you?”

Ani hesitated. “She- she sent me an email about a project we’re working on together. But she wouldn’t do something like that. She…” He trailed off, reddening. “She’s nice,” he added lamely. 

“Well, this is obviously someone’s idea of a *very* sick joke.” He handed the phone back, with a barely concealed expression of distaste. “This needs to be dealt with,” he added sternly. “Before anyone else sees it.” Ani nodded and trailed forlornly after him to the big desk at the front of the room.

Quinn dialed Ben’s cell. “Ben? Quinn Donovan here. Could you stop by my office? It’s important. Yes, I’ll be here. Thank you.” He hung up and beckoned to the boy to follow him down the hall. Closing the door behind them, he said softly, “Now, Ani, have you any idea how this might have gotten into your phone?”

“It was in the email, Professor,” Ani insisted. “From Bethany. I didn’t download it from somewhere, *honest*!”

“Steady on,” Quinn soothed. “No one’s accusing you, lad. But you *do* understand why it’s so important to find out where this started and shut it down, right? Now try to think back. When did you first see it?”

“Right after the lab. It was an email from her, from- from Bethany. We’re working on a Net security project together. But when I opened it that picture just kind of… popped up.” He swallowed hard. “She’s really good with computers and stuff. But I dunno why she’d send me something like… like that. I mean, she’s *way* older than me.” Quinn tried not to smile at the lad’s ham-fisted attempt to protect his friend.

There was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Quinn called.

Ben opened the door. “You wanted to see me, Professor? Oh, hey, Ani. Sorry, sir, am I interrupting? I can come back-”

“No, please come in, Ben. Thank you for responding so quickly. We have a wee bit of a situation here, and I believe your… singular expertise may be needed. Ani, please show Ben your phone.” 

Ben took the proffered cell. “What about it?” he asked, puzzled. “Is it not working right, Ani?” He powered it up, then nearly dropped it when the picture filled the screen again. “Holy shit! I mean, sorry, Professor. What the-”

“Exactly,” Quinn said grimly. “Ani here got it in an email a little while ago. On his *school* account.”

Ben stared. “Somebody sent *this* to-” He glanced at Ani, who nodded, wide-eyed. “Ani, who sent it?”

“Bethany Kincaid. Well, I mean, it was from *her* email address, Ben, but she’s not like that. She likes to joke around on the computer and stuff, but-” He brightened. “I bet somebody *hacked* her!”

“Anything’s possible,” Ben agreed thoughtfully. “Going to be hard to tell where it originated with just this,” Ben said, studying the screen. “I can try to trace it back, but…”

“The important thing is to lock it down, delete it, whatever. Keep it from spreading any further,” Quinn said urgently. “This is completely unacceptable behavior, whoever is responsible. We don’t know if it was just sent to Ani, or elsewhere. It could create a terrible liability situation for the school if it isn’t contained immediately. What can we do?”

“May I access your computer?” Ben asked.

“By all means.” Quinn stood, offering his desk chair to Ben, who rapidly typed in a series of commands. The screen blinked and changed so fast Quinn had to look away to avoid sensory overload. He walked around the desk and sat down next to Ani, giving the lad a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Quinn could feel him trembling. 

After several minutes, Ben sighed and sat back. “Well, it didn’t originate from any campus email that I can tell. Must have come in from outside. Maybe some kind of Trojan horse. Problem is, if it’s gotten into the server, it could have gone out simultaneously to multiple school accounts.” 

At that moment, his First Call cell came to life. Glancing down, he stiffened, then showed the phone to Quinn. “Uh oh,” he said, then hit the Talk button. “Yes, Dean Winters?” He grimaced. “Yes, sir, I’ve just seen it myself. No, sir, I don’t have any information yet on how it got onto the campus server. But I will find out, sir. Yes, of course, I understand it’s serious. Yes, sir, I will keep you fully informed. Yes, sir. Goodbye.” He hung up and turned back to Quinn. “May I access your email, Professor?” Quinn nodded and typed in his password. Ben peered at the screen and sighed. “Well, it didn’t just go to you, Ani.” 

~*~*~*~

By mid-afternoon, it was obvious the ‘junk in the trunk’ email had spread throughout the campus. Dean Winters issued a campus-wide cease-and-desist order, warning of the most severe repercussions. Then he summoned Bethany Kincaid to his office. 

Clearly, the girl had been as shocked as everyone else. She emphatically denied sending the email, or ever having been photographed in that manner. In fact, she insisted the body in the picture was not hers and that someone must have Photoshopped her face onto someone else. 

“And who would do such a thing, Ms. Kincaid?” Mark Winters demanded. “Does someone have it in for you? Someone on campus?” Silence. “If you have any suspicions-”

“No, sir,” Bethany said firmly. “I have no idea.” But her gaze slid away even as she answered, and Mark was fairly sure she was lying. He sighed.

“Well, then, you leave me no choice. Barring evidence to the contrary, I have to assume that you were, in fact, the one who sent this out, for whatever reason. Actions have consequences, Ms. Kincaid. You are suspended until further notice.”

Tears filled her eyes. “But it’s not my fault, Dean Winters. I’m the victim here! Why am *I* being punished?”

Mark leaned forward. “Because you cannot — or *will* not — tell us who is the guilty party. Cooperate and perhaps we can revisit the situation. If not…” he let the implication hang in the air.

Bethany sniffled.

~*~*~*~

Ben and his First Call team immediately went to work. Apart from a few private snickers about the picture from the younger male team members, Ben didn’t have to remind any of them of the seriousness of the situation, or that the picture would not be retained except for evidentiary purposes. 

Thanh Nguyen was particularly incensed. She knew Bethany from the Computer Sciences Department and loudly denounced whoever the moron was that had tried to disparage her in that manner. Ben minimized the details in his weekly report back to First Call, stating only that the matter was being investigated and would be handled appropriately. 

Like Quinn, he was perturbed that Ani had been a victim of such a distasteful prank. The kid had a hard enough time fitting in with his years-older classmates. ‘Junk in the trunk’ pictures were certainly nothing new in today’s digital world, but to send it out on an official *school* account to students *and* faculty was beyond arrogance, bordering on complete lunacy. And Ani was a minor. The consequences could be devastating.

He arranged for Thanh and him to meet with Bethany privately to discuss the matter and try to get some more details. In the face of suspension or worse, if she failed to name the culprit, she reluctantly agreed to have them come to her apartment.

Bethany sat huddled into the corner of the overstuffed chair in her living room. Her face was blotchy, her eyes tear-swollen, and she looked as if she hadn’t slept in days. “It wasn’t me,” she insisted. “And I’d never do such a thing to Ani. That’s just… evil. *And* illegal. He’s just a kid!”

“We believe you,” Ben assured her. 

“Do you have any idea who might have sent it?” Thanh asked. “Does someone have it in for you? A grudge? An old boyfriend?” 

Ben leaned forward. “Help us help you, Bethany. I’ll see to it that it remains confidential, I promise.” Actually, he wasn’t all that sure he could, but he’d cross that bridge when and if he came to it. Right now, she needed to know she could trust him.

She looked from one to the other, considering. Then, “I can’t prove anything…” she began. “I mean, I don’t *know* it was them,” she continued, “but…”

“Who, Bethany?” Ben asked softly. As the girl haltingly began to speak, warning bells started in the back of his head, and he hoped to hell he was wrong. 

~*~*~*~

Ben was practically brain-dead when he got home that night. Quinn handed him a cold beer from the refrigerator and motioned him to the kitchen table. 

“Rough day, love?” he said sympathetically, as he chopped vegetables for a salad.

Ben nodded tiredly. “But I think we’re getting somewhere on the Bethany Kincaid thing.”

Quinn put down his knife. “You and Thanh were meeting with her this afternoon, yeah? She talked to you?”

“A little bit. She’s scared, but she knows she needs to come clean, or she could be looking at expulsion. Maybe even criminal charges.” 

Quinn scowled. “I know Mark felt he had to suspend her, but now he’s actually talking potential *expulsion*. He’s a lawyer, for God’s sake! Where’s the evidence against her? It’s all circumstantial. The puir wee lass…” 

Ben couldn’t help but smile at his partner’s vitriol. Ani had been adamant that Bethany would never have sent out the graphic picture on her own, and definitely not to him. He suspected the boy nursed a secret crush on the older girl. And apparently he’d won Quinn over to her side as well. “You’re right,” he agreed, draining his beer and tossing the can into the trash. “But maybe it’ll made her realize she needs to speak up.”

“Did she tell you anything useful?” Quinn asked interestedly.

Ben hesitated, remembering he had promised confidentiality. Quinn read the currents in the room and casually returned to his dinner preparations. 

“She thinks it might have been a group of computer majors,” Ben said quietly. “There’s a kind of an isolationist clique that hangs out in the language lab after hours. They pretty much stick to themselves, don’t mesh too well with the rest of the campus. Socially challenged, if you get my meaning.”

Quinn’s lips quirked. “Nerds?”

“Labels, Professor,” he reprimanded. “Let’s just say they consider themselves to be better than their peers, for whatever reason, and prefer to keep their distance.”

Quinn opened the oven door to check on dinner. “Go on.”

“Well, it seems these same individuals may have also been behind that virus on the servers over the summer session.”

Quinn’s head shot up. “You mean those feckin’ cartoons that got everyone’s knickers in a twist?” 

Ben nodded. “Yep. Really well-designed piece of software. Bethany admitted to having been part of it and even gave me her notes. She programmed Adele’s sexy French sailor and Deborah’s, too. Said she wanted to be sure that the ladies weren’t ‘visually molested’, or something like that.” Ironically, the prank had probably influenced First Call’s job offer: with his working knowledge of the school’s I.T. situation, Ben had been brought on as the team’s site lead. Their initial task had been to clear the virus from the servers. He’d kept a copy of the program for research purposes and later loaded it onto Quinn’s laptop as a joke. His reaction had been priceless.

“Deborah’s was pretty smooth, as I recall,” Quinn said thoughtfully. “She and Adele were comparing notes on which one was the most handsome.” He grinned. “Unlike certain others, who will remain nameless.” 

“Oh, come on, you didn’t like the leprechaun?” Ben laughed. “I thought it was very apropos.”

“I was thinking more of a certain English Lit visiting professor, who got righteously ticked off over being compared to Mad King George. Mark said he nearly blew the windows out of his office when he charged in complaining about being disrespected.” His grin was more than a little malicious. “Pure genius, that one was, to be sure.” Then he sobered again. “So Bethany was involved, was she? Best keep that on the down-low if you can. The Board nearly had a collective stroke over the whole thing, not that it ever takes much.”

“Which is why I promised that I’d keep her secret,” Ben said solemnly. “And now you have to promise, too.”

“Turning State’s evidence, is she? Smart girl,” Quinn commented approvingly. “So is she thinking they suspect she’d already told and are retaliating?”

“Apparently they had a few other big ideas in the works, and she got cold feet. Tried to talk them out of it, said they’d likely get caught. It didn’t go down well.” He reached for plates to start dishing up dinner. “She thinks maybe the picture was a warning.”

“Self-righteous, uber-entitled little peons,” Quinn muttered, as he carried the salad to the table and sat down. “Did she name names?”

Ben shook his head. “Not yet, but I think she will, once she knows she can trust it to be kept confidential. Do you think Dean Winters would lift the suspension? She’s worried sick about it.”

“I can’t speak for him,” Quinn mused, “but maybe I can put a wee bug in his ear to do the right thing by her if she cooperates.” He paused to take a bite of salad. “What’s her major? Maybe her guidance counselor can help out.”

Ben smiled. “Computer Science and French. Think Adele might be able to lend a hand?”

“I dare say notre belle amie might be willing to wade into the conflict. It’s the sort of thing she loves.” Quinn grinned. “I’ll call her soon as we finish eating. Mark won’t stand a chance. Oh, to be a fly on the wall…”

“Sic ’em,” Ben said, saluting him with his water glass.

~*~*~*~

As expected, Adele was all too willing to take up arms on Bethany’s behalf. Quinn and Ben met her for dinner at her home a few nights later to discuss strategy. Like Quinn, she took an almost parental interest in the welfare of her ‘enfants’. In the wake of the email, she had promptly banned all cell phones from her classroom, warning their owners in no uncertain terms that any mention of the photo would result in immediate and permanent dismissal, without exception. No one had dared to challenge her.

“Ma pauvre petite,” she lamented after Ben recounted the details of his discussion with Bethany. “What a horrible thing to do to anyone, no matter the cause. Those responsible must be made to see the error of their ways, n’est-ce pas? And Ben, merci beaucoup for coming to her aid. Now, what can I do to help, mes chers?”

“Told you,” Quinn said, nudging Ben.

“If you can talk to Dean Winters, get him to lift her suspension in return for coming forward, I think it would help a lot,” Ben said. “She’s getting a lot of pressure from her parents already, but she’s scared of repercussions. The picture was bad enough.” 

“Bien sur,” Adele replied. “As one of her counselors, I can exert some influence, though I cannot truly say it will be enough. Ideally, Professor Avalon, the Computer Sciences chairman, should be informed, non? I cannot think that he would be particularly pleased at such goings-on.”

Ben shook his head. “I had to promise to keep it on the down-low, at least for now,” he said. “It’ll be up to the Dean after that. But it does give her a bit of bargaining power. An ace in the hole, as it were.”

“It’s going to get ugly, either way,” Quinn said thoughtfully. “I don’t see any way that she isn’t going to be found out. Maybe it’d be better if she transferred to another school.”

“Wouldn’t do any good, Quinn,” Ben replied. “With the Internet, it’s ‘out there’. We can shut it down off the school servers, but there’s no way to keep someone who got it from saving it somewhere privately and sending it out again on their own. I’m afraid it’s going to be with her for a long time. Sure hope she wasn’t planning on going into a field that requires a security clearance. The jerks who did it probably didn’t even think that far ahead.” He grimaced. “Or maybe they did.”

“Then what’s the answer?” Quinn asked.

“We find proof-positive who did it, and then the Board of Governors takes whatever action they think appropriate, I guess,” Ben said. “And make sure that it’s not in her permanent transcripts anywhere.”

“*And* punish those responsible to the end of their days,” Quinn added grimly. “Make examples of them, so that no one tries to get away with something like that again.”

The three co-conspirators clinked glasses.

~*~*~*~

“You take that *back*! Right now!”

Ben heard the commotion from inside Quinn’s lab where he was installing some new audio-visual equipment. He went to the doorway and peered out.

“You’re a dirty liar! How’d you like it if it was *you*, huh?” 

Ani Walker stood red-faced in the middle of the hallway, fists in the air. A nonplussed young woman Ben didn’t immediately recognize was staring at the irate thirteen-year-old, while several others watched avidly from the sidelines.

“What would you know about it, *brat*?” she retorted. “You’re not old enough to even be *in* this school. Better go change your diaper, little baby.” There were a few weak cheers from behind her, though maybe not quite the support she’d been counting on.

“I know a lot more than you do, you *bitch*!” Ani said angrily, taking a step forward. “Bethany’s my friend!”

“Alright, that’s enough. All of you, get to your classes, move along.” Professor Addison bustled out of her office. “Break it up.” As the crowd reluctantly began to disburse, she turned to Ani. “Mr. Walker, don’t you have somewhere to be?” she said pointedly.

Before he could answer, Ben stepped out of the bio lab. “Ani, hey, I was just going to text you. Can you give me a hand? Professor D’s new set-up needs some tweaking. Excuse us, won’t you, Professor? C’mon,” he said, taking the boy by the arm and steering him back into the lab. He didn’t miss the subtle thumbs-up gesture from Addison as she walked away.

Closing the door behind him, he turned to face the still angry boy. “Want to tell me what that was all about?”

“She had it comin' to her, Ben,” Ani said sullenly. “She's a bitch.” 

"Language, Ani,” Ben reproved. “Professor D wouldn't like to hear you using that kind of talk, especially to or about a lady."

"Well, she *is*! And she's *no* lady! Nobody has to take that kind of guff, and I sure ain't going to! Would you?”

Ben sighed. Ani clearly had his ‘knickers in a twist’, as Quinn would say. “What happened?”

“She was talking about Bethany Kincaid and laughing about that- that dirty picture of her that went around. She called her a *whore*, Ben! But Bethany’s not like that! She didn’t send that email, she told me so! She’s gettin’ railroaded, and now she’s been suspended and she’s my computer partner this semester, and-” He stopped, wiping his sleeve across his sweaty face, and reached for the sports bottle hanging off his backpack. “How am I gonna finish my project without her?” he added dejectedly. 

Ben pulled out one of the stools from the nearest lab station and sat down. “I get it, Ani. She’s your friend, and you wanted to take up for her. But fighting isn’t the answer, either. It won’t help her, and it’ll only get you both in trouble. We’re working on finding out where it came from, and when we do, it’ll take care of itself. As for your project, I’m sure the professor will give you an extension or find you another partner.”

Ani glumly shook his head. “She was the only one who would work with me. Everybody else said I was a baby and didn’t belong in the class anyway. Like *them*,” he said, jerking his head toward the door. “But Bethany was nice to me, and she’s really smart. Our project was gonna be the best ever. It’s all about Net security and stuff.” His blue eyes lit with enthusiasm, where moments ago he’d been on the verge of angry tears. “Maybe *you* could help me with it?” he said hopefully.

Ben smiled. “I don’t think they’d let me do that, Ani, seeing as how it’s for one of your classes. But I’ll be interested to see what you come up with when it’s all done.”

“Yeah,” Ani reluctantly agreed. “I’ll just have to be sure it’s extra-special good, so Bethany’ll get credit for it. She deserves it.”

“Get to class, kid. You okay?” Ben resisted the urge to reach out and rumple the light blonde hair. 

“Yeah, but that- that *person* just better stay out of my way,” Ani said darkly, picking up his backpack and heading for the door.

Ben shook his head as he returned to his task. Barely thirteen and already taking the whole world on his thin shoulders. Quinn would be proud.

~*~*~*~

Lydia was still fuming when she got to the computer lab. “Did you hear what just happened? That little snot-nosed bastard Walker had the nerve to call me out in front of a bunch of freshmen! Guess he’s got the hots for that snitch Kincaid. Too bad he’s not old enough to even know what to do with a woman. Or maybe she’s giving him some ‘private’ tutoring on the side.” 

Talbot’s grin was malicious. “Don’t sweat it, babe. He’ll get what’s coming to him.”

Lydia’s eyes gleamed. “How?”

“I’ve got an idea.”

~*~*~*~

Friday afternoon…

“Excuse me, Professor?”

Quinn looked up from grading the assignments from the lab that had just finished. “Yes, Rob, what is it?” he asked the sophomore hovering anxiously in the doorway.

“It’s… um… could you come, please?” The boy was visibly perspiring.

Quinn took off his reading glasses and pushed back from his desk. “What’s wrong, lad?”

“Sir, it’s, well, it’s Ani Walker, sir. He’s in the restroom and he won’t come out. I- I think he’s crying. I tried to talk to him, but he yelled at me to go away, and…” Rob shuffled his feet, looking everywhere but at his teacher. “I thought maybe you could talk to him.”

Concerned, Quinn hurried down the hallway, Rob at his heels. A small mixed crowd had gathered at the entrance to the men’s room, some giggling and pointing, others looking worried. Quinn made his way to the doorway and turned. “Alright, people, show’s over. This isn’t a circus. *Shoo*!” He waved both hands and physically rotated a couple of shoulders toward the hallway with a no-nonsense glare. He could hear hiccupping sobs from one of the stalls. Whatever it was, Ani was obviously upset, and deserved privacy. 

Leaving Rob at the door to keep watch, Quinn slowly made his way inside. “Ani?” he called softly. “It’s Professor Donovan, lad.” No answer. “Are you alright? Where are you?” He kept his voice soft and soothing, non-threatening, while straining for any sound. The handicapped stall at the far end was shut tight. Target acquired. He gently prodded the other stall doors as he passed, just in case, then stopped a few feet away. “Ani? What’s wrong, son? Do you need some help?”

“Go ’way,” came a choked small voice. The pathos in it made Quinn’s heart clench.

“Ani,” he said quietly, stepping closer to the closed doorway. “It’s Professor D. Is everything okay?”

“Go *away*!” the voice said, more urgently now, almost desperate. “I’m fine, Professor! Leave me alone!” A pause, then so softly he could barely hear, “*please*…” 

Quinn glanced over his shoulder, grateful to see that the door to the hallway remained tightly closed. Rob was a good lad, and seemed to genuinely care about Ani, frequently partnering the child prodigy in lab assignments, rather like a big brother. He took a deep breath and spoke again. “Ani, there’s no one here but you and me, alright? We’re all alone. Whatever it is, let me help you.”

Fresh sobs. Quinn briefly considered forcing the door open but was afraid of hurting the boy inside. Ignoring the warning from his bad knee, Quinn knelt down and saw two sneakered feet in the far corner. Had the lad gotten himself trapped in there somehow? No, it was more as if he were hiding, a wounded animal trying to avoid a predator.

“Ani, lad, don’t cry. Whatever’s wrong, I’m sure we can fix it, alright?” No answer, except for more hiccupping snuffles. “Please, son. If you’re hurt, if you need medical help-”

“*NO*!” came the anguished scream within. “Go *’way*!” The stall door literally vibrated against his hand, the tortured cry echoing throughout the high-ceilinged room.

“I can’t do that, lad,” Quinn reiterated. “I can’t leave you like this. What’s wrong, Ani? I’ll help fix it, I promise.”

After several more minutes of patient coaxing, Ani finally unlocked the stall door. Quinn hunkered down, so as to be on the boy’s eye-level. “What’s wrong?” he asked quietly, offering his handkerchief.

Gulping sobs were his only answer. Ani had retreated to the far corner, wedging himself between the toilet and the wall, as if trying to hide from the entire world. Quinn held out his hand, but the youngster shied away. “Are you hurt, son?” he asked gently. He didn’t see any bruising or blood…

Ani shook his head. “Please, Professor,” he said brokenly, “just leave me alone. I don’t wanna talk to anybody, or- or see anybody, okay?” He turned his face to the rear of the stall, shoulders hunched miserably.

“No, Ani,” Quinn said firmly. “I care too much about you to just watch you suffer, whatever the reason. Why don’t you come on out of there and we’ll talk a wee bit, just you and me? There’s no one else here but us, I promise.” He held out his hand again, still a couple of feet away from the huddled body in the corner.

“They’ll *laugh* at me.” The voice was soft, full of hurt.

“Who will? There’s no one here but me, Ani. And I’m not laughing,” Quinn soothed. “Let me help you, please.” He waited, secretly hoping the boy wouldn’t delay too much longer; his bad knee was making its displeasure known. 

The tousled head turned slowly toward him, blue eyes wary. “Promise?”

“Of course I do,” Quinn affirmed. “Word of honor.” He stood and took a cautious step forward. “Need some help getting out of there?”

Inch by inch, Ani allowed himself to be moved away from the corner but remained resolutely pressed up against the wall. Quinn tried to turn him, but felt the resistance and didn’t push it. Maybe he’d torn his shirt or his pants or something and was embarrassed to be seen? 

“Come on, Ani,” he coaxed. Let’s get you cleaned up a bit and then we can fix whatever’s wrong, yeah?” 

Fresh sobs and the boy actually jerked away from him, huddling into himself with a soft cry of pain. Alarmed, Quinn took the boy by his shoulders and pulled as gently as he could. As he did so, the reason for the child’s upset became clear.

Ani was small for his age, appearing even younger than his thirteen years. But Quinn remembered all too well what a shakeup the onset of puberty could be to a youngster’s body, not to mention his psyche. Even in baggy jeans, Quinn could see the protuberance that Ani tried unsuccessfully to cover with both hands, the embarrassed flush, the shame in the blue eyes that wouldn’t meet his own. His heart clenched in sympathy. 

“Ani,” he said softly, pulling the boy’s hands away and taking them in his own. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, lad. It’s natural, you know that. You’re growing up, and your body is changing. We’ve talked about it in class, remember? All of us go through it. It’s just a part of the process of-”

“*NO!*” the boy screamed, jerking away again. “It’s not *like* that!” Another storm of nearly hysterical cries, then the boy abruptly crumbled into Quinn’s arms like a puppet whose strings had been cut. “It won’t stop! I can’t get it to *stop*! And it- it *hurts*…” He buried his face in Quinn’s shirtfront, shaking like a leaf in a windstorm.

Murmuring softly in English and in Irish, Quinn held him and let him cry. His scientist’s mind was racing: it shouldn’t *hurt*, and if it wouldn’t stop on its own, then perhaps it was more than just a temporary pre-pubescent reaction. 

He carefully gathered the sobbing child into his arms and carried him to the sink. Dampening his handkerchief, he wiped away the tears and pushed back the sweat-soaked blond hair from the flushed face. Ani looked away when Quinn tried to straighten his clothing and determine the extent of the problem. No question, he clearly had a full-on erection, which in and of itself was peculiar, given his highly negatively-charged emotional state. This was no natural biological reaction to some random external stimuli. But what had caused it?

“Ani,” he said softly, “tell me when this started. And where are you hurting? I won’t laugh; I want to help you, but I need you to talk to me, alright? We’ll fix it, I promise.” He tipped the still-childishly round face up, cupping the lad’s chin in his hand. “Tell me what’s going on and we’ll get it straightened out.”

He saw a tiny glimmer of hope in the boy’s pleading blue eyes. “It… it was during lab,” he began. 

Bit by bit, Quinn fit the pieces together. Like most of the other students, Ani kept a sports bottle hanging off his backpack. As long as they remained tightly sealed, most of the teachers voiced no objection to them in class. Hydration was important, especially in the winter months, when the buildings’ recirculated air could painfully dry out sinuses and skin. 

Ani had taken a quick swig from his bottle, then set his backpack next to his feet at the lab station. Shortly thereafter, he’d started feeling hot and uncomfortable. He’d drained his bottle and even refilled it with water from the lab sink, but found no relief. Soon he couldn’t sit still and started sweating profusely. When he stood up, he was embarrassed to see an obvious erection tenting his jeans. Holding his backpack in front of himself, he’d escaped to the men’s room. Cold paper towels were of no help. In fact, it seemed to become even more prominent, then actually *painful*, both internally and to the touch. He didn’t dare come out for fear of being seen, but he was terrified that something was dreadfully wrong. He’d stifled his sobs whenever he heard anyone come in and hidden like a wounded animal. 

When his lab partner, Rob, had come looking for him, he’d cowered in the handicapped stall, miserable and ashamed, too afraid to ask for help, even from the older boy who had befriended him in class. He heard voices of other students in the hall and imagined they all knew what was going on and were laughing at him. By the time Quinn had entered the washroom, he was almost hysterical. 

Quinn listened intently, with an occasional question to be sure he had the facts straight, mentally calculating how long the condition had been going on. This was definitely something more than a normal physical reaction and would most likely need medical attention. But to take him to the school infirmary risked further embarrassment to the already emotionally shattered child. This had to be handled delicately.

“Ani,” he said quietly, handing him a comb, “wash your face and tidy yourself up a bit, while I get our coats. We’re going to have a doctor find out what’s to be done to make you more comfortable, alright? I’m sure it can be fixed.” Ani’s eyes widened and his mouth opened to protest, but Quinn gently overrode him. “I’m going with you, son. We’ll go in my car, and no one else will know. It’s our secret, promise.” He gave the boy a comforting hug, then turned him to face the sink and the mirror. “Stay here and I’ll be right back. No one’s going to come in and bother you.”

“Yes, sir,” Ani said uncertainly, swiping at his blond hair. “Thanks, Professor,” he added shyly. Quinn gave him a warm smile as he moved to the door.

“Alright, everybody, nothing to see here. Get going, or I’ll write you all up for loitering,” he said firmly to the dozen or so students of both sexes milling in the hallway. “*Go*,” he said again, with a stern glare. “Rob, stay a moment, if you would,” he added to the young man closest to the door.

“Yes, sir,” Rob answered immediately. “Is Ani okay?” he asked in a low voice. 

“He’s had a bit of an upset, but he’ll be alright,” Quinn assured him. “Be a good lad and get his coat from the lab, please. Mine’s in my office.”

Rob returned promptly with the jackets and again blocked the door so no one else could come in. There were still a handful of curious students, but they didn’t interfere. Quinn helped Ani tidy himself and zipped up his coat, which thankfully was long enough to cover up most of the problem. Grabbing the backpack, he led him out into the hallway, shepherding him toward the elevator. Rob patted the boy’s shoulder as they went past, and Ani bravely nodded back. Then he seemed to shrink against Quinn’s hip as they passed a couple of upperclassmen coming down the hall. They seemed to give him an odd look as they went past, but Quinn was focused more on getting the boy to the Emergency Room at the moment. Everything else could wait.

~*~*~*~

Quinn held the passenger door of the Jag open and waited until Ani was belted in before moving to the driver’s side. “Ever ridden in a right-hand drive, lad?” he asked, over the rumbling purr of the powerful engine. “Takes a bit of getting used to, I’d imagine.” Ani mumbled something vaguely affirmative, then sat quietly for the short trip to the local hospital.

Quinn explained to the nurse at the check-in what was going on and filled out the initial paperwork. As he did so, he belatedly remembered they’d need Ani’s parents’ permission for even an examination. Rather than call the Dean’s Office or Admissions, he called Ben’s cell and asked him to look up Ani’s record and give him the emergency contact information. Ben asked no questions, but quickly found the home and cell numbers. Quinn knew he’d have to explain later, but time was of the essence. He got the voice mail at both numbers and left a carefully neutral message, saying only that Ani had had a slight mishap and that he was taking him for medical attention. 

Just as he was hanging up, the ER resident on call came into the cubicle and introduced himself as Dr. Preston Scott. Quinn briefly outlined what he knew. Ani was so emotionally drained by that time he could barely answer questions. He clung to Quinn’s hand as Scott did his initial inspection, then gave the boy a reassuring smile, even as he asked Quinn to step outside with him for a moment.

“It looks as if he’s gotten a hold of something that’s triggered a reaction,” the doctor said quietly. “You said it was after a biology lab at school?” Quinn nodded. “Was there anything that he might have eaten or drunk by accident?” 

Quinn shook his head. “He said he drank from his sports bottle. Are you thinking some kind of allergic reaction?”

“Possibly,” Scott agreed. “Do you still have the bottle?”

“Yes, here in my coat pocket,” Quinn said, pulling it out. “I thought it might be important.”

“Good deal. Let’s run some tests and see if we can get a clue. In the meantime, I can give him something to hopefully deflate the worst of it.” He glanced down at his clipboard. “Do we have the parents’ permission to treat him?”

Quinn grimaced. “I left a message for them, but they haven’t called back. I’m his teacher and guidance counselor. I take full responsibility. He obviously needs treatment. And I can call them again right now if you like.” He redialed, but got the voice mail at both numbers again. His eyes met those of the resident, and there was a long pause. Then, Dr. Scott seemed to come to a decision. 

“Sign here,” he said. “The sooner we do something the better. But keep trying to get his folks, please.” 

Quinn signed his full name, adding his office phone and school email. “Thank you,” he said softly. “He’s been through enough.”

The resident nodded and walked away with the sports bottle. Quinn went back into the cubicle and pulled a chair up next to the examination table. “It’s going to be alright, lad,” he assured the boy. “They’re going to fix you right up.”

Ani gave him a tremulous smile and closed his eyes. 

~*~*~*~

The Walkers still had not called back when Dr. Scott returned. “We found sildenafil citrate in the bottle,” he began. “Quite a bit of it, in fact.”

“As in *Viagra*?” Quinn demanded.

“Exactly. Would you have had anything like that in the lab?” 

“Absolutely not,” Quinn declared. “But that would certainly explain the symptoms, wouldn’t it? And it was *inside* the bottle?”

Scott nodded. “Probably ground up so it would dissolve more easily.” He handed Quinn the lab report. “See for yourself.”

Stunned, Quinn read the report in its entirety. He was familiar with sildenafil citrate and its properties on a scientific level, but had never used it himself. The thought of a thirteen-year-old boy ingesting it was surreal. And given Ani’s outburst in the restroom, it was unlikely he’d done it deliberately. Had someone actually been cruel enough to *plant* it in his sports bottle? And why? He grimly met the doctor’s gaze. “Can you help him?”

Dr. Scott nodded. “We can give him an injection to help the swelling go down. But we may have to physically draw the blood out if his body won’t relax and release it on its own. Did you reach his parents?”

“No, still just the voice mail. I didn’t want to keep leaving messages; I didn’t want them to panic.” He took a deep breath. “As I said before, Doctor, I will take full responsibility. *Help* the lad. Do whatever you have to do. I’ll take the rap for it. In loco parentis, you know. He’s under the Academy’s care. We’ll make sure his parents are fully informed.”

The two men regarded one another for a long moment. Then the resident tapped the page where Quinn had signed his name and gave a sharp nod. “I’ll be right back,” he said. “Stay with the boy.”

~*~*~*~

That night, Ben sat stupefied, listening to Quinn’s explanation of the day’s events. 

“My God, Quinn,” he said when Quinn finished. “Is Ani okay?”

“He will be,” Quinn said tiredly. “Physically, there shouldn’t be any permanent damage. Emotionally? I think it’s going to be a while.” I offered to have him come here tonight, but he wanted to go back to his room. Rob said he’d stay with him.” 

“Good thing you were there,” Ben said. “Did you ever get a hold of his parents?”

Quinn grimaced. “I’m thinking they must be out of town or something. But there was no answer at the home or the cell number, just voice mail. There wasn’t any secondary contact?”

“No, that’s all there was. But they’ll have to be told.”

“Of course. If I have to drive to their house myself. Can’t even imagine how I’d feel if I were in their shoes. I talked to Deborah after I got him settled in his room, and she said she’d let Mark know. Probably get a shitload from him before it’s over, but I don’t give a damn. It had to be done.” His voice hardened. “And when I find out who was behind this, it’ll be a sorry day for the wanker, I promise ye that.”

Ben nodded, unsurprised. He knew all too well how special Ani was to Quinn. He wouldn’t want to be in the guilty party’s shoes for anything.

~*~*~*~

Bethany was willing to come clean, but only on the promise of confidentiality. The Board reluctantly agreed, on Mark’s recommendation. She signed an Affidavit admitting to having taken part in the summer session avatars incident and identified the rest of Team Talbot as co-conspirators. Quinn hoped she’d get credit for ‘time served’, as it were; no real harm had been done, and it had led to First Call’s being brought on board full-time. And some of those caricatures had been damned funny.

Ironically, she was also able to assist in identifying the source of the photo. It was very well done, but for one small detail: a small sunburst tattoo on one hip. Bethany confirmed that they had all gone together to get inked as a show of unity, but Lydia had elected to have it placed on her hip, claiming that her parents were anti-tattoo. The others opted to have it done on their inner wrists. Lydia had sent the nude picture to Ryan Talbot during one of the ‘on again’ periods of their relationship. Using Photoshop, Talbot had simply substituted Bethany’s head from a casual selfie taken during one of their jam sessions. 

Unfortunately, he’d neglected to airbrush out the tattoo. When the picture went out over the emails, a couple of Lydia’s friends noticed and asked about it. When she confronted Talbot about it, he remained supremely unconcerned, pointing out that *she* had voluntarily sent *him* the picture to begin with, and had voiced no objection to his having it on his phone, or on his iPad, or on his laptop. But when that little runt Ani Walker waded into the conflict on *Bethany’s* side, that was too much. Do-gooders had to be taught their place. 

It had been all too easy to obtain a small quantity of Viagra from Talbot’s father’s pharmaceutical supplies. Potter and Calhoun were in Ani’s biology class. Calhoun used a mortar and pestle to grind the pills into a fine powder before slipping it into the sports bottle on the boy’s backpack. Potter had recorded Ani’s growing unease on his phone from several feet away, right up to where the boy had bolted from the room. 

~*~*~*~

“I’m sure you’re all very proud of yourselves.”

Quinn’s voice was quiet, devoid of emotion. His demeanor revealed nothing of the fury roiling inside. The young men standing before him glanced at one another, trying to read the currents in the room. It was hard to ignore the three red student folders before them on his desk.

“You obviously thought it a fine joke to play on a *child*” -- carefully emphasizing the word and taking note of their nervous shifting in place. “You were, of course, aware of the effect the substance would likely have on a pre-pubescent male.” Blue eyes bored into each, appraising. 

“Yes, sir,” Gabe Calhoun mumbled sullenly.

“Sorry, didn’t catch that,” Quinn said politely.

“Yes, sir,” they said in unison, staring down at their designer running shoes.

“I take it this was some sort of physiology experiment, then? For extra credit in Professor Patel’s class? I don’t recall seeing it listed on the syllabus.” Neutral, professional, a department chairman seeking information. 

“No, sir,” Talbot answered. Quinn could see the flush climbing up the back of his neck. Good. Potter and Calhoun shook their heads and looked anywhere but at their instructor.

“You should consider yourselves extremely fortunate that it was discovered so quickly,” Quinn said quietly. “I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials for Viagra and similar products, specifically the warnings about erections lasting more than a few hours, yes?” 

Silence.

“I asked you a question, gentlemen.” Stern.

The three nodded without speaking.

“Those warnings are there for good reason. Master Walker could have been seriously, even *permanently* injured by your little stunt. Thankfully, he will recover. *Physically*.” He paused for effect, then added, “His parents could still file criminal charges, you know. Assaults on minors don’t play well. I hope your families have some good criminal defense lawyers on retainer.” It was hard not to sound smug in the face of their dumbfounded expressions. Clearly, they hadn’t considered the possibility. Too bad.

Picking up his Mount Blanc fountain pen, he began writing on his lined pad. “Effective immediately, each of you is banned from the Biology Department,” he said solemnly. “As we are beyond the deadline to drop this semester’s classes without penalty, the class will be marked down as a failure.”

“You can’t *do* that, Professor!” Talbot protested. He appeared genuinely outraged that a mere faculty member would dare to challenge him. 

“Frankly, Mr. Talbot, if it were up to me, you’d all be thrown out of the school on your collective arses,” Quinn said coldly. “Regrettably, that is beyond my purview. But know this,” he added, leaning forward and taking satisfaction in the way all three flinched away, eyes widening in shock, “your little stunt will be a part of your permanent records in *my* files” – he tapped the three folders – “and none of you will be permitted to take any further classes in this department after today. Do I make myself clear?”

Calhoun and Potter remained silent, but Talbot wasn’t backing down. “I’m pre-med, damn it! I *need* those bio courses as part of the program!” 

“Perhaps you should have thought about that.” Quinn was coolly unsympathetic. “I suggest you consider a different major. Or transfer to another institution of higher learning.” He stared the younger man down. “After all, a future *doctor* should know that the first law of healing is ‘Do No Harm’.” 

The boy glared impotently for a few seconds, then sullenly looked away. Quinn was eerily reminded of Xandra Criton. Apparently, the personality type was gender-neutral. 

“Anything else any of you would like to add?” he asked, tone now scrupulously polite. “Very well. You’re dismissed.”

He could hear the mutterings as they left his office. “Who the hell does he think he is?” and “My parents’ll damn sure have something to say about this. They’ll have the bastard deported!” 

He sighed as he returned the folders to the drawer. Talbot had had all the earmarks of a doctor, following in his father’s and uncle’s footsteps. Too bad he lacked any semblance of a bedside manner…

~*~*~*~

Quinn reached for the ringing phone. “Biology Department, Professor Donovan.”

“Hello, Professor. It’s Deborah Billingsley. Dean Winters asks you to come to his office, please.”

What now? “I’ll be right along, Deborah. Thank you.” Reaching for his Harris Tweed blazer, he headed out the door.

~*~*~*~

“Alright, lass, what did I do this time?” he asked humorously, as he entered the Dean’s outer office.

Deborah smiled up at him. “You always assume you’re in trouble. I wonder why that is,” she replied, then hit the intercom button. “Sir, Professor Donovan is here, as requested.”

“Show him in, please.”

Quinn knocked on the closed inner office door, waited for the muffled “come in”, then entered. Mark rose from behind his desk. “Ah, Professor Donovan, thank you for coming so quickly. I believe you know Mr. and Mrs. Walker?”

Oh, feckin’ hell. He should have anticipated this. “Yes, of course. How nice to see you again,” he said politely, shaking hands with each of Ani’s parents. “It’s been a while.”

“Thank you for seeing us, Professor,” Ani’s father said, clearly uncomfortable with their surroundings. “I hope we haven’t taken you away from class.”

“Not at all,” Quinn assured him. “We’re always happy to talk to our students’ families.” Standard textbook response.

The Walkers glanced at one another, then at Mark, who nodded for them to proceed. Mrs. Walker spoke. “We came about…”

Quinn took a deep breath. “About what happened last week.” It wasn’t a question. “I’m sure you must have a lot of questions.” 

“As I was explaining to Mr. and Mrs. Walker,” Mark began, “Anthony had a minor medical situation that necessitated a visit to the Emergency Room. Hospital procedures required parental consent *before* treatment was rendered. The Academy regrets that Professor Donovan elected, instead, to proceed in loco parentis.” 

Before Quinn could respond, Mr. Walker interrupted. “On the contrary, Dean Winters, we wanted to *thank* Professor Donovan for his initiative.” He turned to Quinn. “You went out of your way to take care of our boy, and we appreciated it very much.” 

Quinn tried to unswallow his tongue, mentally chuckling at Winters’ discomfiture. “Ani is a fine young man, and I’m glad that we were able to get him the help he needed. Of course, I *should* have waited to confirm your permission, but-”

“We understand,” his mother said quickly. “It was an emergency. We trust your judgment, Professor. You’ve always put Ani’s interests first, ever since he started here. He talks about you all the time. You’re quite his hero.” She blushed and sat back, even as Quinn allowed himself a pleased chuckle.

“I only hope he doesn’t put me on too high a pedestal, ma’am,” he said ruefully. “That’d be a long way to fall, and I’m not that great with heights.” 

“Can you tell us anything more about what happened?” Mr. Walker asked anxiously. “Your voice mail message was pretty… cryptic. And then we got the letter from the school…” 

Cryptic on purpose, Quinn thought. They had every right to know, of course, but given the circumstances, he was reluctant to discuss it in front of the boy’s mother. How much detail did they really want? He glanced over at Mark, who gave a tiny shrug, but remained silent.

“Ani was inadvertently exposed to a substance that provoked a rather… concentrated… physical reaction,” Quinn said delicately, with an apologetic smile at Mrs. Walker. “The effects were temporary, but did require medical intervention, which is why I took him to the Emergency Room. I didn’t want to cause him undue embarrassment by taking him to the school’s infirmary, and the hospital would have likely had more extensive resources to correct the problem. We’re assured that he will make a full recovery, but naturally you’ll want to have his own pediatrician check him over, as a precaution.” 

“And, of course, the Academy will cover all of the treatment costs,” Mark added quickly. 

Good on you, mate, Quinn thought sarcastically. Even if you’re probably already figuring out a way to dock me for it.

“We have health insurance, thanks,” Ani’s father replied.

“We’ll be glad to pick up the difference, anything the insurance doesn’t cover,” Quinn affirmed. “Least we can do.” He’d have paid any balances from his own pocket. Much as he’d love to forward the bills to the culprits’ parents, Mark would likely veto it.

“But what *caused* it?” Mrs. Walker repeated. “Was it an accident? We’d really like to know.”

Oh, shite, thought Quinn. But they deserved to know the truth. He sighed. “Your son is a very courageous young man. In spite of his youth, he has more than held his own, not only in the classroom but against those who might feel somewhat less than… welcoming of one barely old enough to be in secondary school, much less university,” he said carefully. “Apparently he got on the wrong side of a few *less* mature students and was the unfortunate victim of a rather distasteful prank. I can assure you that those responsible have been dealt with. We have zero tolerance for bullying on this campus.” He paused, then added, “You should be very proud of your son. I know I am. I will miss him very much when he graduates.”

As hoped, the sincere praise for their son helped to soften the blow. Quinn regarded them steadily, not looking away, letting them know in no uncertain terms that he was on their – and their son’s – side. Then inspiration – or his quirky sense of humor -- struck, and he turned back to Mark. “Do you still have that issue of Gift of Gab? The one with the drawing? I’m sure the Walkers would enjoy seeing their son’s more… artistic side.”

The look on Mark’s face clearly said he’d hit the bullseye. “I don’t think…” he said reluctantly. 

“Oh, I’m sure it’s still in the system,” Quinn said helpfully, enjoying his friend’s discomfiture. Ambush me, willya? “Shall I see if Deborah can bring it up on her computer?” He half-rose from his seat.

If looks could kill, he’d be a dead man. “Let me see if I can find it,” Mark said sourly, then turned to his keyboard. A few minutes later, he rotated his monitor so that the Walkers could see. 

“That’s the ticket!” Quinn chortled. He gestured to the cartoon of himself as a panicked dinosaur before a melee of electronic attackers. “Ani drew this last year. I had no idea he was so insightful.” He leaned forward and tapped the screen. “The action figure in my ‘paw’ there is Ben Kensington. He heads up the team who handles all the I.T. stuff for us.”

“I think he’s mentioned that name once or twice,” Mrs. Walker said, smiling. “Apparently he’s pretty high up on the ‘hero list’, too.”

“Your son freely gives his respect and admiration,” Quinn said, with a fond smile. “May those of us so singularly awarded manage to remain worthy of it.” 

The Walkers rose, and Mark and Quinn stood with them. “We won’t take up any more of your valuable time, Dean Winters,” Mr. Walker said, with a smile. “Professor, we just wanted to thank you again.” He turned back to Mark. “The Academy should be congratulated for having such dedicated and caring faculty.”

Mark looked as if he’d swallowed a pint of castor oil. “Thank you. I assure you, the matter has been thoroughly investigated and will not happen again. You have my word on it.”

“And mine,” Quinn added firmly. “May I walk you out?”

On the way to the Walkers’ car, Quinn again apologized for not having made a greater effort to reach them from the hospital. “I’m sorry I had to just leave you a voice mail message. I did call the house and the cell numbers we had on record from the hospital. Several times.”

Mr. Walker smiled. “We were up in the mountains on a camping trip with friends. And the cell phone fell in the lake the first day, so we wouldn’t have gotten your message until we got home anyway.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “Between you and me, I don’t know much about those crazy cells anyway. Any time we get a new one, Ani has to show us how to work it. Nothing’s simple anymore, is it?”

Quinn chuckled. “We have that in common. I’m known as ‘Professor Fossil’ around campus, and with good reason. Ani has been extremely helpful on more than one occasion when I’ve needed some high-tech bailout. You have every reason to be proud of your son. I know I am.”

“We *are* proud of him,” his mother replied. “We’ve brought him up to know right from wrong and to stand up for what he believes in. It hasn’t been easy for him, and we honestly weren’t sure he should return for his sophomore year, after… well, after everything that happened. But he insisted the Academy was where he belonged.”

“He has been a joy to have in my classes, ma’am,” Quinn said warmly. “I would like to thank you personally for honoring his choice. I will miss him sorely when he graduates.”

Quinn was warmed by their obvious devotion to their son. He knew from Ani’s application that the Walkers were not well off, and the Academy tuition was probably beyond their means. Yet they had tightened their belts and done what was needed to ensure he got the finest education available. He made a mental note to discuss financial assistance with Mark. Perhaps there was some sort of scholarship program that could lend a hand…

~*~*~*~

After seeing the Walkers to their car, Quinn couldn’t resist returning to the Dean’s Office. Revenge was sweet.

Deborah didn’t look up as he entered, but the quiet smile made it clear she wasn’t surprised to see him back.

“You *had* to go there,” Mark complained as he strolled back in and slouched onto the leather sofa. “You just couldn’t leave well enough alone.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Quinn replied innocently. “All I did was show two loving parents proof of their son’s prodigious talents.”

“Riiiight,” Mark said dryly. “And you just *happened* to mention Kensington in the process.”

Quinn shrugged. “He’s in the picture. Rather the focus of it, in fact.”

“Why did you have to bring it up in the first place?”

“Why did *you* summon me here without any warning?” Quinn countered. “Good thing I didn’t just blow you off, like I had half a mind to. I *do* have classes, you know.”

“Half a mind is about the size of it,” Mark said gruffly, but with little heat behind it.

“Did you know they were coming?” Quinn asked curiously.

“I did. They called this morning for an appointment.”

“So you just *conveniently* failed to let me know ahead of time, and then ambushed me? Good job, mate. Thought we were on the same side here.” Quinn leaned back and crossed his arms. “You were expecting them to jump me, weren’t you,” he said shrewdly. “Going to report me to the Board for not following procedures? The lad needed immediate help. I did what had to be done, and I’d do it again.”

Mark sighed. “I know there were extenuating circumstances, and thankfully it all worked out, but damn it, Quinn, you opened the school up to a lot of liability. It was a huge risk. I ought to make *you* pay the medical costs.”

“Happily,” Quinn replied. “I’d already figured that was coming. Just give me the bill when it comes in.” He walked over to the desk and leaned in. “And if you’re going to raise a stink over my having removed those responsible from my department, let’s hear it now and get it done. Because I’m *not* backing off of that.”

“Sit your butt down and quit looming already,” Mark said caustically. “If Security saw you like that, they’d probably storm the office with guns blazing.”

“Deborah’d never let ’em take me.” Quinn took a seat on the other side of the desk. “But those arrogant arseholes needed to be taught a lesson they’ll not soon forget. It wasn’t just what they did to Ani, though God knows that was bad enough. They were also responsible for that email with Bethany Kincaid’s picture.”

Mark stared. “Are you sure? Do you have proof?”

Quinn nodded. “Ben and his team figured it out. Don’t ask me how.” He wasn’t about to violate Bethany’s trust. She’d suffered enough. 

“Shit.” Winters turned to look out the window for a long moment. “What is it about your department that attracts all the nasties?” he said, almost to himself.

Both men vividly remembered the Xandra Criton cheating scandal the year before. And Ani had been involved in that one as well. “I’m sure it’s not limited to my people,” Quinn said. “But they *do* seem to get caught more frequently, don’t they?” 

“What do you recommend?” Mark asked. “Disciplinary action-wise, I mean.”

“I’ve already thrown them out of the department,” Quinn said coolly. “Not just my classes, but everyone else’s, too. You’ll probably hear some pushback from Talbot’s folks. He was pre-med, or so he says. I suggested he rethink his major. Or a different school.”

Mark frowned. “That’s it?”

“All *I* could do. Anything else has to come from you, mate.” Throwing down the gauntlet.

Mark reached for the intercom. “Deborah, please prepare three Form 21-J’s. Professor Donovan will provide the names.”

Quinn stared. “You’re *expelling* them? Good on you, mate. You’ve got balls of steel.”

“Suspension for the balance of the semester, not expulsion. But it’ll be on their permanent records. And on *yours*, I might add, for that little stunt at the hospital.” Quinn shrugged, unconcerned. “Now go give Deborah the information so we can get the forms up to the Board for final approval. And don’t come back around here for a while; I don’t want to have to deal with your crap anytime soon.”

Quinn grinned. “Sucks to be the boss, doesn’t it?”

~*~*~*~

Epilogue:

Quinn hung up the phone, with a broad smile. “That was Deborah,” he said to Ben, who was installing an update on the laptop in his office. Ani sat next to him, enthralled as usual by anything computer-related. “Bethany Kincaid’s suspension is being rescinded. She can return to classes next week.”

“That’s great,” Ben enthused. “Hopefully she can make up for the lost time.”

“We got an extension on our project. She’ll be fine,” Ani said confidently. He looked up at his mentor. “Thanks for your help, Professor. You, too, Ben.”

“You’re very welcome, Ani,” Quinn said solemnly. “And I’m sure Bethany appreciates the way you stood up for her to the other students. Though I hope you understand that fisticuffs are never the answer.”

Ani nodded seriously. “Yes, sir, but I’m not sorry I did it. Even after… you know.” His face reddened in embarrassment. Both men tactfully looked away. Bethany wasn’t the only one who had been impacted by Team Talbot’s antics. 

“By the way, we traced the photograph’s email origin,” Ben offered into the awkward silence. He pulled up his cell phone. The email read lollipop@[redacted]. 

“*Lollipop*?” Ani said incredulously. “Y’mean like an all-day sucker?” 

Ben grabbed a handful of tissues as Quinn choked on his tea, spilling it down his shirtfront and onto the desktop, as he hastily left the office. He could hear Quinn laughing all the way down the hall.

Ani looked confused. “What’d I say?”

~end~


End file.
